Transplantation of insulin-producing cells to treat diabetic rats after 90% pancreatectomy

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG 2015-06, Vol.21 (21), p.6582-6590
• Main Authors: Yu, Ya-Bin, Bian, Jian-Min, Gu, Dian-Hua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Basic Study; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Weight; C-Peptide - metabolism; Cell Differentiation; Cell Proliferation; Cell Shape; Cells, Cultured; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - etiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - surgery; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - etiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - surgery; Gene Expression Regulation; Glucose Tolerance Test; Humans; Insulin-Secreting Cells - metabolism; Insulin-Secreting Cells - transplantation; Male; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - metabolism; Pancreatectomy; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Time Factors; Umbilical Cord - cytology; Wharton Jelly - cytology
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i21.6582

To investigate the effects of transplantation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) in the treatment of diabetic rats after 90% pancreatectomy. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) were isolated and induced into IPCs using differentiation medium. Differentiated cells were examined by dithizone (DTZ) staining, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and real-time RT-PCR. C-peptide release, both spontaneously and after glucose challenge, was measured by ELISA. IPCs were then transplanted into Sprague-Dawley rats after 90% pancreatectomy and blood glucose levels and body weight were measured. The differentiated cells were positive for DTZ staining and expressed pancreatic β-cell related genes. C-peptide release by the differentiated cells increased after glucose challenge (380.6 ± 15.32 pmol/L vs 272.4 ± 15.32 pmol/L, P < 0.05). Further, in the cell transplantation group, blood sugar levels were significantly lower than in the sham group 2 wk after transplantation (18.7 ± 2.5 mmol/L vs 25.8 ± 1.25 mmol/L, P < 0.05). Glucose tolerance tests showed that 45 min after intraperitoneal glucose injection, blood glucose levels were significantly lower on day 56 after transplantation of IPCs (12.5 ± 4.7 mmol/L vs 42.2 ± 9.3 mmol/L, P < 0.05). Our results show that UCMSCs can differentiate into islet-like cells in vitro under certain conditions, which can function as IPCs both in vivo and in vitro.